What does it take to build a self-driving car fit for Malaysian roads?

Of all the things my old driving instructor said, one always stood out:

“I’m not just teaching you how to drive, I’m teaching you how to drive on Malaysian roads.”

The same is true for any self-driving car looking to enter our streets. Not only do they have to learn how to navigate roads, they also have to figure out our cute little driving quirks: double and triple parking, cutting through the wrong way, turning 3-lanes into 6-lanes, beating a red light etc.

This doesn’t even account for reckless and dangerous drivers. The speed demons, those sleepy on the road, and all hazardous inattention you can think of.

Then there are obstacles in personality: anyone will tell you navigating the heart of KL requires a fair amount of daredevil-ing.

Or how about just general communication on the road? As the article linked above pointed out, even merging between lanes requires some communication. Usually, many of us only enter a different lane once the car behind us slows down to give way. Could a self-driving car pick up on this nuance?

Then, there is the issue of pedestrians. A human behind the car is able to notice a pedestrian attempting to pass, and choose to slow down to grant them way. Could a self-driving car do the same?

As far as demonstrations go, it does seem like UTM and Moovita is on a promising path, especially regarding AV acceleration.

How cool would it be if Malaysians are the first to crack self-driving cars? At least enough that our lawmakers actually allow them on the roads?

This would mark a big notch in our #MalaysiaBoleh belt, as well as proving that Malaysia and Singapore can work together to create wonders.